Phobia
by MissTeak
Summary: Being the key witness to a murder, Dr. Takani Megumi has been placed under 24hr surveillance by the police. Enters cocky yet serious senior police inspector Sagara Sanosuke. "You should try getting used to this face soon, because I'll be with you 24/7."
1. First Night

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Here's another addition to the Sanosuke/Megumi fanfiction section! I do agree with what some of you said in your reviews – this lovely couple is gradually being forgotten, and personally, I think it is such a shame. We all know how cute they are, and how their contrasting attitudes and images create the perfect platforms for our muses to go creative on.

So here's another contribution by MissTeak. I just want to do more for this lovely pairing, and also, for all fellow fans. It will be totally different in terms of content and writing style from what I have been doing for this pairing, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. While it might appear to be a typical police story, the problem is, MissTeak is not too good with police action or whatsoever. It will be more of how Sanosuke entering Megumi's life by chance, hating each other initially, slowly discovering more to each other, him helping her face her phobia, and eventually, developing feelings. Please read and review!

**Phobia**

_**First Night**_

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* * *

_

No…no…

_Please._

_Don't come near me._

_No…_

Her entire being was shaking uncontrollably, her lower lip visibly trembling as she desperately tried to wrap her hands around herself as tightly as possible.

_I said, "Don't come near me."…didn't you hear?_

_No! Go away…_

Eyes widened as she stared fearfully into nothingness ahead, her fingers making deep red welts on the pale skin of her slender arms as she clawed at herself for imaginary comfort. Her hands rubbed up and down her arms rapidly, as if dispelling the bouts of chills she was feeling.

"_What do you want? I promise…I won't breathe a word! What do you-"_

The white lights were adding to her stress…she had seen a flash of white light too, before he…

_No…please…_

She could sense someone closing in on her, coming from behind. Forcing her body still, her teeth chattered involuntarily as she looked out of the corner of her eye.

A drop of sweat rolled into her eye. It stung.

A masculine hand…it was right by her shoulder. It was coming so close, so close…

_Don't touch me…no!_

"Don't touch me!" She shrieked, trying her best to shove the hand away, beating wildly in that direction without a clear target in mind. Her mind was a blank except for fear, sheer, numbing fear and the only thing driving her on was instinct.

_Just go away…_

She whimpered pitifully, feeling hot tears course down her cheeks even though there wasn't the familiar stinging at the base of her nose. The tears were not evoked by sadness; they were evoked by pure fear. They kept falling, as she continued to struggle wildly.

The hand was coming closer…and closer.

_No…please…_

She closed her eyes.

_Go away!_

"Calm down!" A thunderous voice sliced through the dense fog of fear in her mind like a hot knife through butter. Two strong hands gripped her by the shoulder forcefully to the point of almost hurting.

"I said, don't touch me!" Screaming, she struggled and thrashed against the hold immediately, and the grip faltered as if shocked at her retaliation, before gripping her with renewed strength.

Then came a hard shake that rocked her body like a boat tossed around in choppy waves.

She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Another forceful shake.

"I said, calm down! If you do not calm down this instant, there's no friggin' way we can help you!"

She stilled, her overworked body falling limp like a ragdoll. She lurched forward but those hands held her up. She felt like a scarecrow, standing only because of the pole.

Tearful eyes flew open to meet a steely chocolate gaze. It was a reassuring yet serious gaze. Her tears kept falling as if they had a mind of their own, blurring the face in her vision. Her ruby lips were parted, drawing deeps mouthfuls of much-needed air as the blood pounded in all her vessels, her heart feeling as if it might burst from the emotional exertion.

Her eyes looked upwards, downwards and took in the face of the person in front of her. She tried to make out those features. It was not her attacker. It was a stranger.

She forgot she was safe. The worst was over, though the ghost of it was clearly still haunting her.

She was safe.

Safe.

Fatigue and relief washed over her like a tidal wave, and it left her weak and vulnerable. She no longer had to hold up the strong front to fight the imaginary threat.

"Listen to me-" The masculine voice came again, and this time round it was not as thunderous or scary like it had been earlier. But whoever was speaking never got to finish his sentence, for she had wrapped her arms around his torso and pressed her shaking body to the larger frame.

She tightened her hold, seeking comfort in the reassuring presence. She relaxed when she felt his arms wrap around her, holding her closer as if dispelling the fear.

A few moments went by, and she had calmed down reasonably, he loosened his hold on her and released her from his embrace.

She felt empty with the loss of warmth, and her hands clenched into tight fists.

A paper cup was then lifted to her lips, and the warm hand returned, nudging her lower lip with a callused thumb to coax her to drink.

"Here, drink this."

A sip was all she took, but it made her feel so much better. Her parched throat, dry and painful from fear and screaming, was relieved of the discomfort. Reaching for the paper cup with her own hands, she downed the rest of the warm water thirstily.

She replaced the cup on the wooden table in front of her and drew the back of her hand across her lips to dry them. Her heart was no longer beating so erratically.

"Feeling better?"

She drew another breath, glad that it was no longer shaky, and nodded. She was in an office, and it did not take her long to realize it was a police department office.

"More water, please." She said almost inaudibly.

"Get her another cup."

"Yes, sir!"

She nodded her thanks, slowly raising her eyes to look at the man by her side.

"Dr. Takani Megumi." He acknowledged. "I am senior inspector Sagara Sanosuke of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. I am in charge of the team investigating the death of neurology professor Kobayashi which as you already know, took place yesterday at the parking lot of your apartment building."

Megumi nodded, trying to force the gradually materializing images of how professor Kobayashi was murdered, out of her head. But her efforts were futile; she could still see in her mind's eye how the man, shrouded in the shadows, stabbed the professor over and over again.

"The suspect murderer is still on the loose, and I promise that what happened earlier this evening will not happen ever again. Having witnessed Dr. Kobayashi's murder, you're the key witness in this case. In order to ensure your safety until the murderer is apprehended, we'll be placing you under 24-hour surveillance, which involves-"

"24 hours? I don't need that…"

Sanosuke slammed his fist onto the wooden table, eliciting a small cry of surprise and making her jump. Megumi glared at him, bewildered and angry at his outburst. If she had still been a little dazed earlier, his reaction sure woke her up.

_What was his problem?_

"I made a statement, not a question." He said in a rather cocky manner which irked Megumi, sending words like "arrogant asshole" flashing through her mind. "Is that clear?"

"I am a _witness_, not a suspect. You don't have to be so-"

"I asked if my instructions were clear." Sanosuke repeated himself, looking at Megumi directly in the eyes, trying to stare her down. "You, , are not in the position to question the way we operate. It is a decision made in your best interests, and trust me, you'll be thanking me for it when the case comes to an end."

She knew better than to argue with this guy. Sure, he was young and good-looking, very much so, but at the same time; he appeared to be a rude, hot-headed brute.

"Very well…" She said grudgingly, flashing him a dirty look. "What's going to happen then?"

He smirked as if to say 'That's much better' and continued talking. "We'll be listening in on your phone conversations just in case he calls, and we'll also be stationed around your apartment building, your workplace and also, your apartment to prevent any possible attacks."

"You think whoever it is would strike again?"

"Foxy lady, hasn't he already tried to attack you an hour ago?" Sanosuke asked, making Megumi feel stupid. He moved his face close to hers, till she could feel his breath fanning across her skin lightly. She smelled coffee. "He will attack again and again. You are the key witness to the murder, the only one, and if there's anyone to testify against the murderer, it's you."

She shuddered out of genuine fear at the prospect of being attacked by that masked man again. She had not expected it, and to think it might happen again…

"He will do anything to get you out of the picture, and from how viciously he attacked Dr. Kobayashi, I'd say, you're in a great deal of danger. So what you have to do is to just accept the protection from the police, and stay alive."

_The cocky rooster head has a point…firstly, the anonymous, crazed stalker…and now, another anonymous, crazed murderer._ Megumi honestly did not know what to make of her own life.

Sanosuke must have seen Megumi start looking down the row of police officers, as if trying to identify whoever's sharing her apartment, for he said, "You don't have to look too far; it's yours truly. You should try getting used to this face soon," He pointed at his own face with an index finger. "Because I will be with you 24/7. In fact, I will be moving into your apartment with the necessary technological equipment tonight."

"What?" Megumi spluttered, sitting straight up in her seat.

He placed a palm on her head, making her calm down instantly with his reassuring yet condescending gesture. "Wait here for me; I won't be long."

She nodded dumbly, still unable to believe the absurdity of the entire situation. His boyish good looks were free of the earlier seriousness when he was talking about the case, and he gave her a wink which made him look extremely attractive in that instant.

"I hope you're a good cook!" With that, he sauntered off with a clipboard in hand, while two of the uniformed policewomen in the office smiled excitedly at each other and gushed at his retreating back.

Megumi rolled her eyes. Honestly, this guy was ranking lower with every moment on her human-rating list. Initially, he was at the 'nice guy' rank when he offered her the drink and the hug, then he went down a rank to become 'hot-headed brute', then 'arrogant asshole' and now, 'flirt'.

And it did not help that he was going to her place to be with her _all_ the time.

"Dr. Takani, there's no need to worry at all," One of the junior inspectors with Sanosuke's team told her. "With SIP Sagara around, you will be safe. Very, very safe indeed."

She nodded in acknowledgement of the statement.

_Well, I hope you're right. Safe…yeah,_ She thought. _Only if he doesn't kill me with exasperation first._

_

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_

To be continued…

A/N: How did you guys like the first chapter? Reviews and feedback will be highly welcomed, and they will help fuel the updating process!


	2. The Great Hysterical Morning

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for the encouraging reviews earlier! Your lovely reviews prove that there are still Sano/Meg fans out there who appreciate my writing, and here's the second chapter you've all been waiting for. Your reviews spurred me in my writing. Enjoy, and I hope you have a good laugh!

**Phobia**

_**The Great Hysterical Morning**_

* * *

Megumi looked at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror.

She looked so tired, and how sleep-deprived she looked actually made her feel less tired with the shock.

_I shocked myself with my face…_she thought absurdly.

_Arrrgh. Whatever._

Dispelling thoughts from her sleep-laden mind, her hands gripped the sides of the sink to hold her lethargic body up.

She looked at herself again.

Her long black hair was in a mess.

Sighing, she ran a hand through it.

_Alright. What's there to do today?_ She pondered, filling her mug up with water from the faucet.

_I have to check the thoracic surgeons' schedule for the surgeries lined up next week._

_Confirm with Dr. Genzai if old Mrs. Aoki can undergo cardiac catheterization._

Reaching out for her toothbrush, she squeezed the toothpaste out neatly from the end of the tube onto the bristles.

_Review the medical histories of the two newly-warded patients, and arrange for the physical examinations._

_Review little Nami-chan's progress with the new medications._

_Arrange for Mr. Suzuki's post-op diet plan with the dieticians and nutritionists before he gets discharged next week._

The minty fresh fragrance of the toothpaste was nice and refreshing. She liked this brand best.

_Oh, and to remind Mrs. Suzuki to watch Mr. Suzuki's diet. God knows what would happen if he goes back to his twice daily fast-food diet again._

_Yumi's coming over to meet me for lunch at the hospital cafeteria…oh, and I have to return the dinner party dress I borrowed from her two weeks ago, and show her the pictures taken at the dinner party…_

She closed her eyes and continued brushing her teeth, mindful to brush accordingly to how her dentist advised, while running through the list of things to do for the day in her mind.

Megumi was so lost in her thoughts; she did not hear the door to the bathroom click open.

She opened her eyes when she was done brushing, and sleepy eyes opened impossibly wide when she saw another pair of wide-opened eyes behind her, staring right back at her in the reflection of the mirror.

He froze.

She froze.

It was then when she realized she was dressed only in a matching set of white cotton bra and panties.

And he was topless.

He remained frozen, but his eyes travelled downwards, upwards, and stopped to look at her directly in the eyes again in the reflection of the mirror.

He cringed, expecting her to scream.

Yet the scream never came.

She calmly took her mug, spat the slightly bluish-white foam into the sink, and gargled.

He remained motionless, unaware of what to do in the situation given the calmness of the almost-naked (and very beautiful) woman in front of him.

It was deathly silent. He could hear the remaining drops of water stuck in the faucet fall drop by drop into the sink.

_Tick._

_Tick._

It sounded more like a time bomb counting down.

She wiped the corners of her mouth with her face towel.

He entertained the thought of simply exiting and closing the door softly behind him, and subsequently, pretend not to have seen anything.

She chose to turn around in that moment, and her gaze was…well…it was anything but friendly.

He gulped.

Sanosuke raised his hands up, and began to explain in what he thought was a placating manner. "I'm sorry, I really didn't think-"

Megumi glared at him in disbelief, shaking her head in fury.

Then she opened her mouth.

"No, I can explain-"

And screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed.

When she finally stopped, Megumi stared at Sanosuke indignantly, her face flushed and chest heaving from the earlier exertion.

Sanosuke remained rooted to the floor.

"When are you going to stop staring? You…you incorrigible, psychotic pervert! You're sick!" She tried to use her left arm to cover the top of her breasts as much as she could, before stomping towards him and proceeding to beat at him with her right hand, shoving him out of the door.

"No, wait-"

"How dare you…walk in on me like that?! Disgusting, perverted chicken head! You…you deserve to be fried!"

"I told you, fox, I can explain this!" He dodged a fist, thankful for his strict police academy training.

"Explain? As if I would believe you! You are such a pervert! A peeping-tom!"

"I didn't peep at you; I accidentally walked in on you! You stupid woman!"

"Who's calling who stupid, you male chauvinist pig!"

"How the hell would I know you're in there?" Sanosuke raised an arm in defense, shouting back at equal volume. "Oh! I get it…you sly fox! It was your fault that you didn't lock the door. You must have…somehow plotted for that to happen!"

"Are you stupid or dumb, chicky? Me? Plot for you to walk in on me?" Megumi asked incredulously, swatting viciously at him as if she would a housefly. "Dream on!"

"I was just innocently planning on using the bathroom! And stop calling me a chicken, you fox! You think I like seeing you like _that_?" He stuck his chin out in her direction to make his point, raising his arms to emphasize when he accidentally pushed her.

_Shit!_

Megumi let out a small cry of surprise when she fell backwards, and instinctively, Sanosuke reached out and grabbed her.

He caught her, with one arm around her waist and the other on her back.

She gasped.

Time once again stopped, frozen with bits of forgotten argument lingering in the air.

They took a few seconds to recover from the initial shock.

Then, the two of them realized the compromising position they were in.

He felt something soft pressed against his bare chest. She felt her chest pressed against a rather hard one.

Eyes widened in surprise.

They both looked down between them and Sanosuke's eyes were treated to the sight of Megumi's soft, creamy fair breasts pressed tightly against his tanned chest.

She inhaled deeply, appearing absolutely horrified.

He gulped, unable to tear his eyes away.

He was a…well, red-blooded man after all.

"When. Are. You. Going. To. Stop. Staring? Apparently, you like seeing me like _that_, you disgusting pervert!" She found her voice and screamed at him, struggling in his hold. "Let go of me!"

He released his hold on her immediately, highly embarrassed due to being caught staring. But this embarrassment he felt was quickly converted to renewed ardor in bickering with the sexy yet feisty woman in front of him.

"Oh, yeah? I _saved_ you, you ingrate! How about thanking me? If it wasn't for me, you'd be sitting on the floor now on your pretty ass!"

"Why you-" She stared at him with narrowed eyes, poking him in the chest. Megumi cast a glance at the clock outside the bathroom. "Whatever. I have much better things to do than quarrel with the likes of you, rooster head."

"Yeah, sure. I have a suggestion!" He called out after her as she turned to re-enter the bathroom. "You can start with reassessing that royal temper of yours, foxy!"

…and such was just one of the many, many hysterical mornings to come.

They just did not know it yet.

Sanosuke sighed. This woman was proving to be one of; if not the most, difficult of all the people he had ever worked with. It was infuriating; the way they bickered over everything, and called each other stupid names like how it was in elementary schools. It would have been less frustrating if she wasn't so hot.

They had already bickered twice the night before when he first arrived at her place. First was how she was a hygiene freak, when she insisted on having him wash his hands and feet immediately upon entering the house. Microbacteria, she had insisted again and again.

"_Haven't you heard of H1N1? Are you just unaware of how easily it can spread, or are you simply clueless about H1N1?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_That's it; you're officially a pea-brained rooster. How can you not know it?"_

_Ouch._

"_I know what H1N1 is! I just had insufficient time to react to your barrage of words, Miss Foxy-know-it-all!"_

"_Oh yeah? So you do know about it?"_

"_Sure I do! Damn it, do I look like a HIMBO to you?"_

"_Then go wash your hands and feet NOW. Oh, and to answer your earlier question, actually, yes."_

That was the first argument summarized.

The second time was…he had trouble recalling it, since it was so trivial.

Oh.

Oh.

He didn't shut the door to the fridge properly, and she went ballistic over that.

It was just a little gap.

And she hated the junk food storage he brought over to her place. It was readily available at his office, and he just grabbed whatever he could find before they went over to her place.

Thank God for those.

He could not believe there were no potato chips or candy bars at her place. No carbonated drinks either.

And she banned alcohol, as house rule number one.

"Control freak…" He muttered at the recollection of the verbal swords, arrows and lances they threw at each other.

If she was less beautiful and less attractive _(Yes, she was elegant even when she was angry)_, he would have a much easier time dealing with her. But earlier on, when he accidentally walked in on her in the bathroom, she looked so…delectable. It was only white cotton bra and panties, and she managed to look so good.

This is one beautiful trouble he had on his hands.

That was what he dubbed her secretly.

The beautiful trouble.

And she would never know about this, he decided as he sauntered into the kitchen to make breakfast with whatever he could find in the kitchen.

For two.

_

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_

To be continued…

A/N: Chapter two!! I had a great time writing this one, because I found it really entertaining. I love writing Sano/Meg interaction. How did you guys like this?


	3. And Trouble finds Beautiful Trouble

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: You guys are so lovely! The amazing reviews are so appreciated, and in return, here's chapter three! I really enjoy writing SM interaction, and since I am always lamenting the lack of good stories on this couple, I figured I should do my best and write a good one to satisfy the fangirl in myself and all the fellow SM fans too.

Enjoy this one! The morning progresses and it is not a pretty sight.

**Phobia**

_**And Trouble finds Beautiful Trouble**_

* * *

She exited the bathroom, now fully clear of the series of happenings which brought this handsome but unbearably irritating stranger into her home. The powdery scent of roses followed her into the living room as the warm air of the bathroom slowly escaped to the rest of the apartment. The sounds of someone busy at work in the kitchen reached her ears.

_The rooster head…is making breakfast? _She thought cynically, though a tiny portion of her heart was secretly glad that there was someone else in the apartment, preparing breakfast.

To be honest, Megumi was still a little grumpy over what happened earlier, especially when it involved her being almost naked in Sagara Sanosuke's arms. It was most shocking, embarrassing and downright _gross_.

Why did he have to walk in on her? She thought irritably, her brows furrowed.

_Megumi…you know it was an accident! He didn't mean to…_ Her conscious argued.

Megumi knew it was the truth; it was pretty much her own fault for having been too caught up in her thoughts and forgetting clean about the presence of the other person in her home. But she had never been held like this by a man before…so…

_See? You know very well it is your fault, not his._

She stood at the doorway to the kitchen.

"Making breakfast?" She asked in a civilized tone, trying not to sound too crude and grumpy.

His heightened senses, a result of years of police academy training, noticed her walking towards the kitchen long before she spoke, but Sanosuke remained expressionless. He turned ever so slightly such that he was looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"What else does it look like?" He muttered, looking away from her and returning his attention to the eggs he was beating.

He was evidently still pissed off.

_The nerve of him! He did not realize his mistake…he was the one who walked in, for goodness' sake!_

That sparked the carefully-suppressed fire in Megumi, and with renewed ardor that gave her the reputation of the Fox, she immediately stomped in to stand beside Sanosuke, berating him.

"I was just being polite and civil, you rooster head!"

"Wow!" He feigned surprise. She might as well have said she discovered gravity. "I didn't know you had the capacity to be polite and civil, Fox."

"There are many other things your pea brain cannot process, Rooster." She retorted, glaring at him. "Such as, respecting others' privacy."

"I told you, it was an accident. And I saved you, Foxy! Shouldn't you try to thank me?"

"Thank…you, Rooster? Please, I was still wondering if I caught the avian flu from you from being held so tightly earlier!"

"I'm not a bloody chicken and I definitely do not have bird flu!" He looked at her witheringly, his hands pausing in their task at hand. "Are you under the warped impression that I am here in your apartment because I_ like_ being here? Do I look like I am having the time of my life?"

Megumi must have continued looking at him irritably, for he continued, his voice getting louder and more intimidating with his increasing frustration.

"Well, in case you do not know, I am here because it is my _job_. It's just too bad that I am not bright enough to become a pompous little doctor like you, so I have to suffer and sit around here to _protect_ you from that psycho killer out there. It is not as if I have a choice, because if I had one," He stared at her right in the eyes. "I'd never want to be stuck here with you."

"Please don't make it sound as if I am so excited for you to be here with me."

"Great, then it's mutual!" Sanosuke replied dryly. "It's not easy earning my pay, Miss, and I don't really need you to make it any harder for me."

Megumi rolled her eyes haughtily, tossing her hair. "For all you know, you're overreacting over how dangerous the killer can get. I've met my fair share of crazy people, you know, flashers and so on. I've been stalked by crazy secret admirer since half a year ago. And I am still alive. Has it ever crossed your mind that I might not need you to hang around me all the time?"

"Well, that certainly did cross my mind when we were investigating, but then again," He flashed a cocky smirk, much to her anger. "The only time I'd know I was not overreacting is when you're found mutilated in some alley. So, given how brilliant you are, Doctor Takani, don't you agree it is safer to overreact for now?"

"Thank you very much then, Senior Inspector Sagara." Megumi retorted in a voice dripping with sarcasm, her eyes narrowing with anger. "Thank you for being so concerned over my life and death."

"Not _concerned_. As I've mentioned, it is my job. A duty. A _chore_."

"Whatever." Megumi muttered, rolling her eyes at how obnoxious and rude this brute of a police inspector could be. He was so irritating, and she did not know why was it that they could not even exchange a civilized conversation without snapping at each other.

She walked over to the sink and started washing the tomatoes, cucumber and eggplant, placing them on the chopping board while Sanosuke busied himself with the task of preparing the dashimaki omelet.

"What do you intend to do with the vegetables?"

"Eat them?"

"I know that, you silly Rooster. I mean, what dishes do you intend to prepare?" She said through gritted teeth, knowing that he was deliberately teasing her. She made a mental note not to appear mad at his stupid jokes.

"We'll make a simple salad with the tomatoes and cucumbers…and how would you like to have the eggplant?"

She thought for a moment, before suggesting, "How about mabo nasu?" (A Sze chuan style Chinese dish of sliced eggplants stir-fried in a spicy minced meat sauce)

"Sure, I am always up for spicy food."

"Alright then, you're in luck. I'm good at this dish."

"You must have eaten loads of it," He said seriously, before breaking into a huge grin. "Which explains the fiery temper!"

"Why, you….!" Megumi exclaimed, threatening to hurl the cherry tomatoes in his direction.

"OK, OK! Peace truce!"

He grinned as he heated the frying pan while she chopped a little too viciously at the poor cucumber, imagining it was Sagara Sanosuke whom she was chopping up.

They had no idea how cute they looked together when they were hard at work in the kitchen.

"Umm, Fox?"

"Yes?"

"Where's the oil?"

"Second cabinet to your left."

He nodded, reaching into the cabinet. "Wow, extra virgin olive oil. A health-nut, aren't you?"

It was Megumi's turn to look at him witheringly. "Do you have comments for _everything_? Eating that might save you from arteriosclerosis, so shut up."

"Ooh. Big word!" He watched her fume, secretly amused at her array of facial expressions.

"It means clogged arteries, Chicky." Megumi shot back.

He rolled his eyes and started humming a light tune to emphasize how he did not really care about arteriosclerosis or clogged arteries or whatsoever.

She sighed dramatically, partly to irritate him and partly amazed at her own childishness when it came to dealing with this man. Somehow, even though he could be pretty infuriating, Sanosuke was…well, a pretty interesting character to bicker with. She had intended to be polite and nice to him while he was at her place, but honestly, somehow they seemed incapable of doing so. They must have been arch enemies in their past lives or something.

"Not so much grease, please!" She snapped when she saw him tip the bottle to pour out a rather generous amount of oil onto the square frying pan.

"Yes, yes…" He sang.

It was not long before the delicious smells of dashimaki omelet wafted languidly in the cozy air of the kitchen, and Megumi had to admit, Sanosuke was not too bad when it comes to culinary skills.

"Smells good?" He asked, noting her facial expression.

"Not too bad." She nodded at him with a small smile.

He flashed a boyishly handsome grin, and skillfully flipped the omelet onto the plate she prepared by the side. She noted how fluffy and plump the omelet was, firm on the outside yet retaining the slightly wobbly texture in the middle.

"I make pretty good husband-material…are you considering?"

_Flirt alert._

"No." She replied almost immediately, evading his gaze and returning to her task of mincing the lean pork for the mabo nasu.

He shrugged and smiled lazily. "It's your loss, Foxy."

She shrugged in return, smiling to herself at his charming obnoxiousness. While she knew better than to believe him, she could see why he was popular among the females at his workplace.

"How spicy would you like the mabo nasu?" She asked, placing the minced pork neatly into a small bowl.

Expectedly, his reply was quick-witted. "As spicy as you are."

Megumi rolled her eyes as she spooned two large spoonfuls of chili powder into the mixing bowl. She was probably spicier than that though. "Just help get the salad ready, Chicky."

It was then when the phone rang, and Megumi replaced the bottle of chili powder on the shelf, wiped her hands on a dry cloth and proceeded to walk over to where the phone was.

She had not even walked three steps when Sanosuke's eyes narrowed, and he grabbed her by the arm.

"Wait. I'm going with you."

Megumi looked at him incredulously. "What? You're not really expecting some psycho killer to jump out of the receiver, aren't you?"

Sanosuke stared back at her equally incredulously.

"For a doctor, you sure are stupid," He said, only to put a finger to his lips to shush her as she started to retort. "What if he calls to threaten you? Or demands something out of you? We will get this recorded, and it might serve as useful evidence later on."

The phone was still ringing away.

"OK, you win." Megumi had to admit, he did make sense. "What do I have to do?"

He nodded, turning off the stove. "Come on, we don't have much time."

Motioning for her to follow, he said as they ran towards the ringing phone in the living room. Devices to record the conversation and identify the source and location of the caller had all been expertly connected to Megumi's phone by the police officers from Sanosuke's team the night before. She looked at the foreign devices in confusion, unsure of what to do next.

"Isn't this a little too…exaggerated?"

Sanosuke gave her a look which blatantly told her not to question further, before pressing a few buttons on the devices.

She had never done anything like that before. Watching Sanosuke put on a set of headphones, she realized the severity of the situation.

There was someone out there, someone who wanted her life.

Megumi felt fear revisit her, as flashbacks of the masked man who pushed her down onto the gravelly asphalt ground materialized in her mind. Anxiety gripped her, and a drop of clear liquid trickled down the side of her face.

Was it the water from her freshly-washed hair, or was it perspiration from nervousness? She wiped it off.

She was scared.

"You will pick it up when I signal for you to do so. Got it?" Sanosuke's face was a mask of seriousness, and Megumi looked at him in uncertainty and worry. He looked almost scary, when he was so eerily composed and professional.

"I asked you a question!" He barked at her abruptly, making her jump. "Answer me!"

"Yes." She said in a small voice, nodding.

He raised three fingers.

_One…_

Sanosuke put a finger down.

_Two…_

_Three._

He put his hand down forcefully, while Megumi, in a burst of false courage, picked the receiver up.

Her heart pounded.

"H-Hello?"

"_May I speak to Dr. Takani please?"_

"Yes, speaking."

"_I am Morimoto from the oncology department, and I am calling on behalf of Dr. Nakajima, who would like to ask if…"_

Megumi heaved a sigh of relief at hearing the nurse's voice, her shoulders loosening to facilitate the drawing of a deep breath to calm down. It was then when she realized how ridiculous the entire situation was, as she continued to listen to the nurse on the other line.

She knew very well, a killer on the loose was highly dangerous, but it was affecting her life right down to a single phone call. She could never deal with the intense scrutiny she was put under; Megumi always liked doing things independently.

"…alright, please let Dr. Nakajima know that I will meet her at five in the afternoon with the patient's cardiac history to discuss the course of medication."

Another few nods and polite customary formalities, Megumi replaced the receiver.

She turned to look at Sanosuke, who had already removed the headphones and was sitting back on the couch, scribbling some stuff on a notepad.

"That was no psycho killer." She said quietly.

"I know," He nodded, his eyes never looking up from the notepad.

"We're being overly paranoid, Inspector." Megumi's voice was quiet but firm. "I realized how ridiculous it was-"

"What do you know about this?" He stopped writing, but his gaze did not leave the words on the notepad. She could tell; Sanosuke was getting upset with her.

It was a terrible habit of Megumi's; she was too much of a loudmouth at times for her own good. But she could never bring herself to shut up and swallow it in when she had a burning opinion to throw out.

"I know enough to know that it is affecting my life in ways it should not."

He slammed the notepad forcefully onto the coffee table.

"How many times do you intend to undermine the seriousness of the situation?"

"I am not undermining it, I am just-"

"What will it take for you to realize how serious it is?"

"This is ridiculous!"

"Are you just trying to piss me off by making my job sound meaningless, like paranoid child's play to you? Or do you genuinely not realize how your life is in potential danger?"

"I just want to lead a normal life."

"That is out of the question. Your life will not be normal until the murderer is apprehended. If you do not cooperate, you will definitely find yourself in danger which you have never imagined." He said firmly. "We'll now get back to breakfast, and then we'll get you to the hospital."

"You're not the boss of me, Inspector. I know you care about the case, but this is getting a little too much. Correct me if I am wrong, but you're following me to the hospital?" Megumi asked, her eyes flashing with frustration.

"Yes. I will be around you to ensure your safety. Rest assured I wouldn't get in your way when it comes to work. You do your job, I do mine. It is as simple as that."

She sighed, rolling her eyes again. This was frustrating; she hated every minute of it.

They glared at each angrily; Sanosuke was impossibly exasperated with this beautiful yet haughty lady doctor, while Megumi was highly irritated and frustrated at being so intensely scrutinized by the police.

Sanosuke broke the eye contact first, sighing loudly and closing his eyes in a bid to calm the raging fire in his mind. Working with Takani Megumi was much harder than he had anticipated.

The phone rang again.

Megumi sighed, tearing her gaze away from Sanosuke and walked two steps to answer it.

"This is Takani speaking."

Silence. Megumi's brows furrowed. She had expected to near nurse Morimoto's bubbly voice over the line.

"Hello? Who is this?"

Silence.

"This is not funny. Who is this?"

Sanosuke sat right up at hearing Megumi's confusion, hurriedly putting the headphones on to record and listen in on the conversation.

"_How can you do this to me, Megumi?" _

Her blood chilled. The voice was low and robotic, clearly being altered by a voice-altering device to avoid recognition. There were no sounds in the background.

"Who are you?" She asked in a slightly quavering voice, pressing the receiver tightly to her ear. "What do you want?"

"_I love you so much, so much. How can you fraternize with the police against me?"_

Her heart sank with the realization that this was no ordinary prank caller on the line; it was the person after her life. It was not just another random person either. She knew who it was…it was her crazed secret admirer.

"What are you talking about?"

"_You know very well, Megumi. I also know SIP Sagara Sanosuke is with you."_

Megumi turned to look at Sanosuke helplessly, her eyes widened with the fear struck in her heart by this all-knowing mystery killer. What was she supposed to do? Years of medical training did not teach her how to deal with psychotic criminals.

Sanosuke motioned for her to drag the conversation on. The longer it was, the higher the chances of finding loopholes, clues or confirming the identity and location of the caller. She nodded dumbly, more scared than anything else.

"_You have now made me very, very angry indeed, Megumi. We used to be so happy…I would have to punish you."_

She froze upon hearing the threat, her hand trembling involuntarily as she forced herself to listen on. This guy…whoever he was, was clearly insane and dangerous.

"_You can run, but you can't hide."_

The phone line went dead.

_

* * *

_

To be continued…

A/N: Things are getting a little creepy! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter too; personally, I wanted to create a realistic reading experience, which explains the mix of emotions throughout and also, the emphasis on descriptions and so on. Please let me know how you feel about this!


	4. Breathing female on two legs

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Here's chapter 4, and we will see more of our favorite couple! There's not too much to be said, except that I want to thank all of you who reviewed! You guys keep me going, and let's work together to keep the Sanosuke/Megumi fandom alive!

Enjoy!

**Phobia**

_**Breathing female on two legs**_

* * *

The drone of the abruptly cut phone line was the only thing they heard.

_Damn._

Sanosuke sighed, removing the headphones before leaving them on the coffee table. The same old tricks; honestly, he was getting pretty sick of dealing with these psychotic people with too much free time on their hands.

"What did I tell you, Miss Know-it-all?" He muttered, saving backup copies of the voice recordings into the laptop computer and his personal thumb drive. "I totally saw this coming."

Megumi did not respond.

_You can run, but you can't hide._

"Fox."

She remained silent.

Looking up from the screen, Sanosuke's jaw tightened when he noticed how she was simply staring into space, lost in her own thoughts.

"Oi, woman."

There was no reaction from Megumi. Sanosuke suppressed a sigh, before walking over and tapping her on the shoulder.

Megumi jumped at his touch, flustered, but was quick in regaining her composure. She hadn't even noticed he was standing behind her all this while. Years of dealing with victims of harassment told Sanosuke one thing; Megumi was scared stiff, and she was having a hard time taking in the fact that her stable, peaceful life was suddenly thrown into unexpected danger. It did not help that the flashbacks from the murder, the attack from the masked man and the weird gestures from her crazed secret admirer kept coming back to haunt her.

Holding her gently by the shoulders in order not to alarm her any further, Sanosuke turned Megumi around such that she was facing him directly. In that very instant, she looked so…vulnerable. Her eyes were downcast and her usually pale skin looked even paler from the fear throbbing in her system.

While he disliked how loudmouthed she could get at times, Sanosuke decided that he absolutely detested seeing her in this frightened and insecure state. He did not like seeing her this way, and he was going to do all he could to put it right. No one under his charge gets subjected to such fear and mental torment.

"Oi…" He asked softly, careful not to provoke or scare her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, unable to trust her tongue. Her mouth felt dry like sand, and it did not help that her heart was pumping at rates way past its usual pace.

Sanosuke patted her gently on the back while his other hand stroked her still slightly damp hair, using his larger presence to dispel the insecurity in Megumi. The warmth did her good; in fact, the chills running through her were gradually disappearing. She was obviously still afraid, but observing her breathing patterns told him she was gradually calming down.

"I didn't expect-"

"I told you so, didn't I?" He said. It was a mean thing to say, and Sanosuke knew it, but it was deliberate. Megumi needed to know the severity of the situation, and it was paramount that she knew who the ones whom she had to trust were. Sanosuke watched her reaction closely; he didn't take criminal psychology classes for nothing, and was satisfied when the usually feisty fox lady settled for a simple nod.

"Inspector-"

"Sano."

"Sano…" Sanosuke felt a twinge somewhere within himself when his name was uttered so softly from her lips. "It is the same person."

He raised his eyebrows; evidently, Megumi's words had caught his full attention. "I was about to ask you about that. Explain what he was going on about the 'love'. There is the crazed killer, and?"

"My secret admirer." She tried valiantly to sound brave and unfazed, but there was still a slight waver in her voice.

"Who's that?"

"_Secret_ admirer." Megumi emphasized the first word, and this display of sarcasm told Sanosuke that this feisty lady was almost back to normal. Her voice was still weak from the earlier shock, but it was good enough. "How would I know who he is?"

Sanosuke let her remarks slide; there was no point in bickering at this time. "Since when?"

"Six months ago," She replied, obviously not quite comfortable with recalling such details. "I started receiving anonymous letters, gifts, flowers and cards at my doorstep, mailbox and even workplace."

"Did you keep all of them?" If Megumi had kept the gifts from that mystery man, the police might have been able to find bits and pieces of evidence. But then again, even if they had discovered fingerprints on the gifts, they had nothing to match it to at the moment. The weapon used to stab the professor to death was not found anywhere near the crime scene.

"No…why would I? I threw them all away, since I was obviously not interested in him. I mean, whoever he is, I didn't want to give him the wrong idea."

Sanosuke nodded silently. For now, they would have to wait till the mystery man struck again. He had a feeling it wouldn't take too long for him to make his next move.

"I can't believe it would be the same person." Megumi said softly, exhaling as if to calm her jittery nerves. It was then when she looked up into Sanosuke's eyes, her voice a wisp of whisper as she asked, "You think I'd come to harm?"

He found himself inwardly cursing the beautiful trouble again; work would be easier if she did not look so vulnerable and beautiful, like a blooming flower threatening to wilt. It was causing him to feel somewhat self-conscious, somewhat nervous. Sanosuke settled for a smirk when he genuinely wanted to smile at her, and evaded her expressive eyes when he genuinely wanted to look into them.

"Yeah, that's for sure."

Confusion danced in her eyes, before she looked up at him again. He noticed her long, fluttery eyelashes, and Sanosuke inwardly berated himself for once again being captivated by her magnificent physical attributes.

"But I thought he likes me-"

"That infatuation he calls love? That's like black or white…the other end of the spectrum translates into hate. There are no gray areas when it comes to this sort of obsessive love. Hell, he'd never be able to see you as a regular friend. He'd either love you, or hate you to death."

Megumi shuddered involuntarily, but the large hand which dispelled her earlier fears came back again, settling snugly on her back. She was getting accustomed to it, and to Megumi that was not a good thing. She never liked to be dependent on another individual; she was the only one who would never let herself down.

"Want me to come along to the hospital?" Sanosuke smiled at her languidly, awaiting her response to his obvious question.

"You're paid to do your job, and I am a good taxpaying citizen," Megumi said softly, gradually regaining the ability to joke again. "So, yes."

After the scare from the mystery man, Megumi was very thankful for Sanosuke's presence, albeit irritating at times.

"I sure hope you guys have cute nurses for me to check out," Sanosuke gave her another lazy half-smile, before turning around to walk back into the kitchen. "Damn, I'm starving! You'd better go cook that mabo nasu right now, Fox."

* * *

"Good morning, Dr. Takani." One of the nurses greeted politely, while casting a discreet glance in Sanosuke's direction.

"Good morning." Megumi replied dutifully, briskly walking up the steps leading to the main entrance of the cardiology department.

She was getting irritated with the increasing glare of the late morning sun, but yet she could not help but steal fascinated glances at the way the sunrays reflected off the spiky hair of the man walking alongside her. The sunrays illuminated his features more clearly, and unbeknownst to him, Megumi was gradually learning to recognize this face which came into her life by a twist of fate last night.

"Hey, Fox!" Sanosuke whispered a little too loudly. The nurse who walked by earlier looked over her shoulder, chuckling softly at the ridiculous nickname given to Dr. Takani.

"Did you see her checking me out? She's pretty cute too, what's her name? Look at that perky little bum! Do you have her number?"

Her temple twitched with annoyance, but she decided it would be a terrible idea to start yelling at Sanosuke at that moment. Megumi ignored him and walked ahead, pretending not to have heard a word he said.

"Oi, Fox! Can you hear me?" That turned a few heads and elicited another bout of poorly-concealed chuckles and laughs from a group of patients chatting on a bench in the cooling shade.

Megumi stopped dead in her tracks and glared at him.

"Stop. Calling. Me. That. Especially not at the hospital."

"Aww, come on, Foxy…" He smiled at her_ rather_ charmingly, as Megumi grudgingly acknowledged, while moving closer to her. He proceeded to whisper sensuously in her ear. "Are you…jealous?"

_The nerve of this creep!_ Megumi wanted to give him a good kick in his obviously inflated head. Sighing loudly in exasperation, she spun around on her heels and continued to stomp ahead, determined to ignore Sanosuke.

"Are you going to introduce me to that one over there? I think she was checking me out a moment ago as well. Look! She's smiling at me." Sanosuke whispered to Megumi as he flashed a smile in the direction of another young nurse.

Hell, at the rate he was going, Megumi thought, it wouldn't be long before he managed to flirt the granny panties off the old matron as well.

"My job rocks! Who'd have thought there'd be an abundance of hot chicks here?" He whistled enthusiastically.

"Well, Chicky, I do have a friend to introduce you to. I'm sure she'll have…a great impact on your life. You'll definitely be grateful to me for it."

"Now that's more like it!" Megumi rolled her eyes at Sanosuke's outburst of excitement. "Who's she, a nurse as well? Well, actually I don't really care, as long as she's hot-"

"She's a psychiatrist," Megumi said in a dead pan manner. "And you should be seeing her, because you're obviously, hopelessly _delusional_."

"What?"

"You don't get it, do you?" She continued, obviously frustrated at how dense he was. "In other words, stop hallucinating and convincing yourself that every breathing female on two legs is stoked for you."

"Ever occurred to you that it is the truth?" He caught her eyes in that instant, and Megumi raised her eyebrows slightly in defense, assuming a nonchalant mask.

"Well, given how you're obviously convinced that it is so," She said in a cool, clipped voice reserved for professionalism. "I conclude you have a pretty bad case of self-delusion."

He raised an eyebrow in response to her words, his eyes flashing with mirth mixed with a touch of challenge. "What makes you, Foxy, so sure it is not the truth? We are almost strangers, after all."

"Because I am a breathing female on two legs-"

"I recall foxes walk on fours."

"_Shut up_, Chicky."

"Yeah, yeah." He snickered, shaking his head in amused exasperation.

Megumi continued, poking him in the chest. "And I am obviously not stoked for you. I am not, and never will be."

Sanosuke's let her remarks slide, and assumed the haughty half-smile which she was growing to hate. "You know, that might come across to me as a challenge."

Megumi rolled her eyes, removing her index finger from his chest.

"And I, Sagara Sanosuke, never pass up on any challenge. After all, as you put it, you're a breathing female on two legs. That makes my success rate 100 per cent."

"Awww, poor you. You must have been dating chimps and orang utans to soothe that impossible ego of yours."

"Don't get jealous," He drawled, winking at her. "I might make an exception for foxes too."

"Whatever, if it makes you happy."

She returned his half-smile with one of her own, loaded with chock-full of sarcasm, before turning around and walking ahead into the hospital where a ton of work was awaiting her.

Sanosuke smiled.

This was one interesting woman.

_

* * *

_

To be continued…

A/N: How was that? Sexual tension in the air? Or simply just bickering at the early stages? I truly hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter, though it was a little short. I am up to my neck in schoolwork…drowning soon! Please review, keep me afloat!


	5. Too hot to be invisible

Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: Thank you for all your lovely reviews! It's great that you guys are enjoying this story so far, and I can only hope you'll continue to do so. Kenshin makes his appearance in this chapter; I like him too much to keep him out entirely!

**Phobia**

_**Too hot to be invisible**_

* * *

"Alright, Nami-chan." Megumi smiled endearingly at the little girl sitting straight up in the hospital bed. "All you have to do now is take a good long nap and wake up feeling better."

"Will the stinky medicine really make Nami better?" The little girl asked, clutching her Hello Kitty plushie tightly. Megumi's eyes softened with sympathy as she noted the bluish fingertips on those little hands; she knew she should be more professional, but sometimes, it was hard not to feel for her patients.

"Of course they will," She reassured Nami, nodding at the nurse by the bedside for her to help the child into a resting position. "Megumi nee-chan will never lie to you."

"I know. Nami likes Megumi nee-chan best." The little girl said in her wheezy, breathy voice and smiled, waving as Megumi exited her ward. She failed to notice the shadow that crossed her doctor's face.

Megumi knew Nami's case of mitral valve prolapse was a very rare one which actually required surgery, but what she had not expected was for the backflow of blood to get worse so rapidly to result in the higher blood pressure in the left atrium. They had tried their best to alleviate the backflow, but both flaps of the mitral valve were still bulging back into the left atrium, causing the dreaded complications to arise. Little Nami could no longer breathe without aid, and the shortness of breath confined her to the bed with little opportunities of going outdoors.

Being one of the doctors on the team, Megumi truly hoped to see Nami get well.

"Megumi-san," A kindly voice came from behind her. "How is Nami-chan?"

She turned to meet one of the cardiothoracic surgeons working on the same level, Himura Kenshin. He was a friend of hers, and one of the nicest men on earth she knew of. He also happened to be recently married. His wife, Himura Kaoru, one of the physiologists from the sports health department, was a very lucky woman indeed. Megumi would never admit it now, but she used to harbor a crush for this very talented surgeon who came along with a heart of gold.

"Ken-san," She smiled and inclined her head politely. "I hope you're well. Nami-chan is not doing so well, I'm afraid. The earlier medications prescribed to strengthen the mitral valves were not too effective, and to be honest, it so seems as if we might have to consider surgery again if her condition does not improve."

"She is currently suffering from…?"

"Shortness of breath," Megumi answered Kenshin's question on Nami's cardiac complications dutifully. "But thankfully, there's nothing else at the moment. The backflow is slowing down bit by bit, though it could have been much better."

He nodded. "I'm sure we can all count on you to monitor her situation well. I really hope I'd never have to earn my pay from Nami-chan; she's a beautiful little angel."

As they walked along side by side to the elevator lobby area, Megumi smiled and nodded. "I sincerely hope so too."

"What about you?"

"Hm?"

"You should take a good rest too, Megumi-san. You look really tired, and you know better than anyone else that we cannot afford to have you fall sick on us now!" Kenshin said with a touch of slight amusement before darkness clouded his voice.

"It is bad enough to know that Dr. Kobayashi had been murdered so brutally. Even though I did not have the good fortune of knowing him personally, I feel the pain of losing such a respected talent in the field of medicine. I heard about how you witnessed the murder from Dr. Nakajima. Are you feeling alright? If you're not, you'd have to let us know, OK?"

Megumi nodded, trying to shake off the horrifying images in her mind. "I know…he was a great mentor to me. I just couldn't understand why someone could do something so brutal and cruel to a nice old gentleman like he was. And because I happened to witness the murder, the police from the Tokyo Metropolitan Department believe me to be in potential danger. I am now put under surveillance 24/7 just in case the crazed killer strikes. You know what's worse? I am still trying to come to terms with it. I still find it so hard to believe…"

Kenshin nodded gravely. "I can understand. Megumi-san, that's really very dangerous…please promise to be careful at all times. I'm glad the police are doing something about it. So there's someone from the Tokyo Metropolitan Department looking out for you right now?"

Nodding again, Megumi answered as they approached a bend. "Yes, he's a senior inspector, and he's…well, dreadfully irritating."

"Coincidentally enough, I happen to have a friend there." Kenshin remarked. "You know, if you need help with that irritating inspector, you should let me know and I can tell him."

"Really? What's his name-"

"_Now, you haven't given me your phone number…how am I going to call you? You know, it would be such a shame not to hear this melodious voice every night before I sleep…"_

"Oh my God." Megumi muttered under her breath in exasperation as she recognized the irritatingly familiar voice from around the corner. "Not again."

"What's wrong?" Kenshin's brows furrowed ever so slightly.

"Speak of the devil." She said through gritted teeth before bowing apologetically to a rather confused Kenshin. "I am so sorry for causing trouble upon everyone…oh my goodness. Just wait till I get my hands on him…"

"Who's 'him'?"

"The devil in the form of an oversized chicken."

Stomping ahead, (Kenshin could swear he saw fox ears emerging from Megumi's head) she conjured up a million and one violent acts in her mind, some too gory for imagination. Kenshin followed closely behind in confusion, wondering what it was that could ignite such a reaction from Megumi.

Her shoes squeaked rather loudly against the linoleum, and silence ensued in the small crowd where the earlier noises were coming from.

"Megumi-san, wait a moment-" Kenshin called out from behind.

"Roosterhead! That's enough nonsense from you!"

A few heads turned, and sure enough, it was the cocky police inspector surrounded by a bevy of young, pretty nurses. He was leaning against the counter of the receptionist area, flirting shamelessly with the breathing females on two legs.

_Not that I'm surprised,_ Megumi added inwardly.

"I'd hate to break this cozy little meeting up," Megumi said icily while glaring at the nurses. "But don't you have other duties to do? If you're too free, I can help you with that."

That was another way of saying _'I'd refer you to the matron'_, and well, no one liked the matron. Not even Megumi. She was simply terrifying.

Her words were effective indeed, and the little crowd dispersed almost instantly as if Megumi had fired copious amounts of tear gas at them, leaving Sanosuke gaping with widened eyes.

_That should teach you!_ Megumi thought triumphantly, glad to see Sanosuke shocked. _Now you know who's boss…_

That was when she realized he was not really staring at her in shock. Rather, he was staring at somewhere behind her in shock, and that shock slowly evolved into a huge smile as his lips turned up at the corners.

"Kenshin!"

"Sano!"

_What?!_

Both men called out simultaneously, before striding over to each other, exchanging a strong handshake and a fierce, friendly hug.

_They are friends?!_

"Kenshin, my man! I haven't seen you in ages! It has been what, a year? How have you been? Are you still getting henpecked by jou-chan?"

"When did you come back? I've been great, busy with work and taking care of Kaoru too. She's three months pregnant with our first child. You know, Kaoru is still furious at you for not turning up at our wedding…you promised her, that you did." Kenshin laughed, his violet eyes twinkling with happiness and excitement. "We've missed you so much! Why did you decide to go off to Mongolia just two days before the wedding? Now, you'd better be around at my son's month-old party…Kaoru wants you to be his godfather. You have to call her later to explain everything, alright? In fact, she's at work now, just three blocks down at the sports health department."

"Really? Wow, that's great! I mean, I'm really honored. Congratulations, man! You finally knocked her up," Sanosuke laughed before catching the swirly-eyed look on his friend's face. "I mean, got her pregnant. It's jou-chan, we're talking about! Whoever knew she had a feminine side to her…man, I missed you guys! You know, sometimes I think of the good ol' days back then-"

Megumi cleared her throat, after having recovered from the initial shock of realizing how angel Kenshin and devil Sanosuke are apparently good buddies.

"Ah, Megumi-san." Kenshin realized apologetically that they had neglected his colleague while catching up on the old times. He smiled amicably at her, hoping Sanosuke was not the annoying inspector she was referring to a moment ago.

"Oh, you know the Fox too?" Sanosuke interrupted before Megumi could say a word, much to her anger.

Apparently not, Kenshin gulped.

"The Fox?" One could practically see a question mark popping out from the side of Kenshin's head. Honestly, this was a little confusing.

"Yeah, the Fox." Sanosuke inclined his chin in Megumi's direction.

"I'm not the Fox, you stupid, noisy Chicken!" Megumi retorted angrily, shoving poor Kenshin out of the way as she stood in front of Sanosuke.

"Chicken?" Kenshin asked, shocked at the sudden turn of events.

"Sagara Sanosuke! I haven't lectured you on this. Would it hurt for you to stay invisible?"

"Well, I am too hot to be invisible."

"I thought you promised you'd do your job and I'd do mine in peace? So why is it that I catch you being a public nuisance here at the hospital? Why are you interrupting my work? Is that part of your job?"

"You don't represent the public, Fox. There were so many others with me, and I recall they were quite happy in my company." Sanosuke smirked. "Besides, I recall it was you who deliberately came into my way. From the way you shouted my name, damn, I believe you were dying for me to flirt with you, weren't you? I can practically feel the anxiety."

"Alright, alright…ummm…" Kenshin tried to placate the warring factions, only to get shoved out of the way by _both_ Megumi and Sanosuke again. _("Oroooo!")_

"You, flirt with me?" Megumi laughed her trademark foxy laughter as Kenshin sweatdropped in the background. This was getting out of hand. "You once again overestimate yourself, Chicky! I'd rather go down to the morgue and flirt with the corpses! At least they have more dignity in them, unlike you! You morally-bankrupt bird!"

"Me, morally-bankrupt? So much for protecting you from the crazed killer! Where's the credit I deserve for keeping the female population here happy? I'm doing the Japanese society a big favor, preventing young gorgeous ladies from evolving into the likes of you."

"Oh, yeah? Protect me? I'd be grateful if you don't drive me to my grave. And what do you mean by the likes of me? What about me? Come on, say it!"

Sanosuke's eyes glinted evilly. "Now, I didn't really want to say this, but since you asked me, I shall kindly let you know…"

"Go on, say it! Since you're so brave and smart and nobel…" Megumi glared at him challengingly, her pretty honey brown eyes narrowing threateningly.

The atmosphere was quickly evolving into one which could match that of the Cuban Missile Crisis, reminding Kenshin of the movie "Thirteen Days". It was definitely not a good sign. He had to stop Sanosuke from talking, before either USA or the Soviet Union (not that he could decide who was who) decided to blast each other into oblivion.

"Sano…I think that's quite enough…"

"Stay out of this, Kenshin," Sanosuke frowned at his friend, before turning back to Megumi with a smirk. "Well, by 'the likes of you', I mean 'sexually-deprived', 'psychologically imbalanced' and 'allergic to the male population'. Oh, and most probably 'rather desperate' too."

Megumi's temple twitched in extreme annoyance. "Why, you stupid Rooster! Your IQ and EQ must be really pathetically low for you to conjure up such weird, groundless conclusions! You're only sour that I'm the only female around smart enough not to fall for those sorry tactics you call 'flirting'. There's not even an ounce of charm in them, if you haven't realized. At least, not of the intellectual sort."

"That's because I haven't really tried to flirt with you. Because if I did, you would be lying on your back in no time-"

"Sano!" Kenshin gasped, turning to smile at Megumi before he heard a loud yell of pain. Poor Megumi, Sanosuke was really being very improper towards her-

"Ouch! What did you do that for, Fox?!"

"That's to teach you a lesson! How dare you talk to me like that, you uncouth ruffian!" Megumi yelled back, mercilessly twisting Sanosuke's left ear between her fingers.

"Can we just go for lunch now? Lunch time is almost over…" Kenshin tried to placate them again.

"NO!" Both Fox and Rooster replied simultaneously, turning back to each other. Just as Kenshin thought a full-blown nuclear war would break out, a smooth, seductive feminine voice sliced through the thick tension hanging in the antiseptic air.

"Oh my, Megumi darling…what fine specimens of males you have at the hospital! Now, who's free for the night?"

Megumi sighed. Could her life get any worse than this?

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To be continued…

A/N: Now, if you have read chapter two, you'd know who the owner of the seductive voice is. Hilarity ahead in the next chapter (or at least, I hope) and till then, take care, guys! Kaoru will also make her appearance!


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